From chocolates to performance art, all human life will be at the fourth plinth today. Photograph: Sarah Lee

Today at 9am, Antony Gormley's One and Other project begins. For the next 100 days, members of the public who've applied will stand on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square for an hour each. The project runs 24 hours a day. Here are the first 24 participants, what they're doing – and why they're doing it.

09.00 Rachel Wardell, 35, from Sleaford in the East Midlands. Her aim is to raise awareness for the NSPCC. She says: "I am a stay-at-home mum with two young children. I have no great involvement in the arts but felt moved to get involved with this project for several reasons. I'm originally from Newcastle and the Angel of the North has a great emotional significance for me. I like the idea of the arts as inclusive rather than exclusive and feel like this is something that Antony Gormley, and this project in particular, embrace. I wanted to be able to represent normal, everyday stay-at-home mums who aren't normally a feature of major artworks – to show my kids now, and when they're older, that you can do and be part of anything, no matter how ordinary you are or feel."

10.00 Jason Clark, a 41-year-old nurse from Brighton. He has worked for the NHS for 18 years. Clark took part Spencer Tunick's installation of live nude figures at Selfridges in 2003. However, this time he vows to keep his clothes on. He intends to read a book and wave.

11.00 Jill Gatcum, 51, an IT consultant from London, will release 60 helium balloons. She is asking the public to buy her balloons by making a donation to their favourite charity and hopes to create a portrait of modern philanthrophy in the UK via her website.

12.00 Christine Sharman, 54, from Wakefield, works in adult education. She will be wearing an "androgynous suit" decorated with images of the things that are important to her: her work, symbols of current technology and the environment.

13.00 Scott Illman, 34, a bar owner from Hammersmith, London, will dress as a town crier and is using his hour to promote his business.

14.00 Steve Platt, 54, from London is doing it to give his 20-month-old grandson something to remember him by.

15.00 Suren Seneviratne, 22, is a Sri Lankan fine art graduate from Goldsmiths, University of London, who vows to do "some kind of performance piece".

16.00 Rupert Meese, 42, is a symbolic modeller from Derby. He says: "My intention is simply to be there as present as possible in the moment in the most authentic way that I can be. I don't imagine it will be easy or comfortable. The idea that captivated me was celebrating humanity through the ordinary and everyday in us, letting the light shine through the cracks, as it were."

17.00 Victor Martinez, 37, a TV art director from London, is using his slot to show the "modern, multi-cultural face of the UK" while capturing the essence of a "pre-Raphaelite painting".

18.00 Ishvinder Singh Matharu, 31, is an optometrist from Chigwell, who says: "I really believe that this is a brilliant opportunity for the 'general public' to be involved in 'art'. To me, the fourth plinth is important. At the moment my hour is undecided."

19.00 Monique Speksnyder, 45, an adviser from Corbridge, Northumberland, is going to dance on the plinth. "I think this project is just what we need in times of credit crunch and other misery."

20.00 Mark Korczak, 47, a local government officer from Leicester, hopes to promote sustainable travel.

21.00 Stephen Roser, 52, a university lecturer from Bristol, will throw chocolates down to the crowds in the square.

22.00 Mike Longman, a 20-year-old art student, will be making a sculpture during his time slot.

23.00 Andrew Deathe, a gallery owner from Swansea, will take a magnifying glass with him and use it to watch the people who might be watching him. "I'll be representing Wales," he says. "That's important to me."

00.00 Madeleine McLeod, 30, a PR Account Manager from London is going to freestyle. "One and Other is a completely unique project and offers 2400 people a once in a lifetime opportunity to be involved in something that will always be remembered - that is why I wanted to take part." she says. "I have no idea what I will do when I get up there, it will be a surprise - to me."

01.00 Phil Langstaff, 55, a coach-trainer-facilitator-photographer from Shrewsbury, will take photographs for the hour he's on the plinth, in order "to capture those fragments of time and space for posterity."

02.00 Leslie Glenn Damhus, 46, from Frome, is an artist who says: "I'm really excited to be taking part. I'm thinking of taking my sketch book with me and painting the view from the plinth."

03.00 Duncan Badham, 42, is unemployed and from Brighton. He says, "I like Anthony Gormley's idea for its inclusiveness and the humour of doing this in Trafalgar Square. Two thousand four hundred diverse ideas, a myriad of the thought-provoking, beautiful and the plain bonkers. It will be captured as a tribute to be enjoyed long after the events." If you want to be part of guardian.co.uk's attempt to capture the entire project, please send some pictures to our flickr group.

04.00 There had to be one ... Patrick Purves, 56, a morris musician from Louth, Lincolnshire, will play English morris tunes for one hour in full kit.

05.00 Nicci Wilson, 39, a community artist from Belper in the East Midlands, says: "I love the idea of a forever-changing piece of artwork as this reflects life - the only constant in life is change."

06.00 Karolina Peszko, 24, an art student from London will stand on the plinth with her hands (or pockets) full of dried flower petals and let the wind blow them away from her.

07.00 Paul Scofield, 35, an engineer from Paisley, Scotland, will dress as a cow and perform six different poses, jigs or tasks.

08.00 Barbara Illingworth, 47, retired from Greens Norton, Towcester might just sit and read for an hour in the sun.

About this article

Who's who on the fourth plinth today

This article was published on
the Guardian website
at 04.00 EDT on Monday 6 July 2009.
It was last modified at 09.01 EDT on Wednesday 11 June 2014.
It was first published at 04.05 EDT on Monday 6 July 2009.